Hotheads Approach Hardcore Punk With Sheer Power and Loud-Fast Rules

​Last year, NYC Headhunters' five-song cassette​ was one of the best hardcore punks demos of recent times. With Evan Radigan of Vanity​ and the Rival Mob​ on vocals they chewed up the best of 80s New York hardcore and spat out some wad of Breakdown, Outburst and Killing Time.

The band's drummer and bassist - Darren Nanos and Reggie McCafferty- are now involved in Hotheads, a new New York hardcore band who have just released their own tape of hostility.

Recorded between March and August, Nanos performed all the instrumentation with the help of McCafferty (who is also one half of the excellent Black Box Radio podcast​) on lead guitar. Other members of the band now  include bassist Emma Hendry (Krimewatch​), drummer Darian Downey (Shovelhead) and vocalist Shaun Spencer.

Like NYC Headhunters, Hotheads look back at a time when New York City hardcore was reckless and raging. As their label Just A Audial mentions on their website,

"New York Hardcore is devolving at an alarming rate… reverting back to the primordial mess of hyper speed riffs, garbage can drums, and consequential distortion. Before the word "punk" became a stigma for weakness and neanderthal metal reigned supreme, there was the sheer power of loud-fast-rules and slamming on the bridge. Hotheads do that. Like it or you dumb."

Spencer sums it up pretty well in the track "Hothead" when he growls, "Let's make this abrupt , Cause I'm gonna erupt , And if I'm outta line, Well I gave you your time , How much can I take , Before I drop the gloves , Cause I'm about to break!"

Telling a hothead to calm down is like extinguishing​ a fat fire with water, it can get ugly pretty quickly.

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Hotheads cassette is available now through Just A Audial​.

Get hot with Hotheads at these shows:
Nov 11 at  Alphaville with Pure Disgust, Wound Man, NYC Headhunters and Outskirts
Dec 4 at Alphaville with Fury, Unified Right, Sleight Of Hand, Krimewatch, Hotheads

Listen to bands like Hotheads, NYC Headhunters, and Outbreak on Tim Scott's radio show Teenage Hate​.

Image: Bandcamp